Police crackdown on travelling and foreign criminals using South Yorkshire roads

Published:08:07Updated:09:39Monday 22 June 2015

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A police crackdown is underway in South Yorkshire this week aimed at denying criminals use of the county’s roads.

The operation, code named Trivium 4, is aimed at travelling and foreign criminals operating in and driving through South Yorkshire.

South Yorkshire Police’s roads policing unit will be conducting road checks using automatic number plate recognition systems looking for those the force suspects to be involved in crime, including human trafficking, theft and drugs.

Chief Inspector Glen Suttenwood said: “I want to make it very clear that this operation is about targeting criminals, not the communities they are from.

“These offenders are intent on blighting the lives of those living and working in our communities, and we are determined to tackle the criminality they are involved in.

“As an example, human trafficking is the second most profitable form of criminality in the world and we will not accept or tolerate anyone who chooses to be involved in this heinous crime.”

Officers will also be working with Humberside Police in cross border operations at Immingham Docks and Doncaster Robin Hood Airport.

A number of other agencies including Immigration Enforcement, the DVLA and the European Traffic Police Network are also involved in the operation.

Chf Insp Suttenwood added: “Operation Trivium 4 provides an excellent opportunity to work alongside a variety of agencies, which ordinarily we would not be able to access instantaneously, and be able to infiltrate the criminal gangs who are using our roads to commit crime.

“The operation also uses intricate analysis and intelligence to identify individuals who are believed to be travelling the country committing crime and by working together, we will aim to disrupt this activity and dismantle these groups of criminals.”

Sergeant Jez Kelly, from Humberside’s Roads Policing department said: “It is notoriously difficult to tackle travelling criminals without the help from our partner agencies who will assist in piecing together a national picture on travelling criminals to prevent worker exploitation, protect vulnerable people and tackle unlicensed and criminal activity.

“We know we have many foreign criminals who move around the country and are not linked to any individual or established communities. This week we aim to highlight some of the effort the police and other agencies are putting into dismantling this, at times sophisticated group of criminals.

“I must stress, this is not a witch hunt on foreign nationals. Operation Trivium uses intricate analysis and intelligence to identify possible migrants or illegal immigrants who are believed to be travelling the country committing crime.”